It’s that time of year again. The annual busy period for Brisbane businesses. Emails have quadrupled, phones are ringing off the hook, meetings are being scheduled and all hope for staying organised and on top of things has been lost. Or has it?
The busy mindset has been known to creep into the minds of many businessmen and women, affecting their levels of productivity drastically. This can have a detrimental ripple effect on your business, causing client dissatisfaction and missed opportunities. While we’re not saying the busy mindset isn’t justified, it can (and should) be avoided.
Here are a few ways to keep your head in the game and avoid the chaos:
1. Prioritise your tasks by order of importance.
This might sound like an obvious one. However, prioritising tasks effectively is a much harder task than you might think. Having a clear vision of which jobs are most important and which can be pushed back until a later date is key.
If you’re struggling with tasks that all “need to be done asap”, get a quality time management app on your phone and make a list. Consider who the task is for – are they the type of person who can wait an extra hour? Do you have a good relationship with them? What will happen if they get pushed to the back of the queue? If something pops up that’s urgent, but isn’t at the top of your list, you will know to avoid or delegate it to somebody else.
2. Work through your emails one by one.
Emails can be a massively time-consuming task, and one of the leading causes of workplace stress. Unfortunately, there’s no way of stopping an influx of emails coming your way, so it’s best to face the problem head on.
Rather than picking and choosing which to open and which to add to your “to deal with later” pile, you should work through them one by one. Either respond yourself or delegate to a staff member who has time to respond and/or complete the task at hand. The less you have in the “later” pile, the clearer your head will be.
3. Delegate tasks to employees according to their skill sets.
While delegating tasks might be a quick and easy fix, it’s important not just to hand the job to the closest employee. Take some time to think about each staff member’s skills and abilities before deciding who will be most suited to the job. This will save you from having to deal with the hassle of fixing any mistakes or issues that may arise.
4. Make sure you don’t have any dysfunctional business processes.
Proactive and effective processes are key to running a successful business. From the way you provide services (or train staff to provide services), to the way you handle customer complaints and feedback, each and every one of your business processes needs to be the most efficient. If there is no workflow or systems in place, your staff will be lost and confused, and you will need to spend extra time explaining things to them.
5. Seek advice or assistance from a professional
If you’re doing everything right, and still seem to be struggling to cope with the hectic nature of your schedule, seeking outside help might be the best option for you. At Toohey Reid, we focus on helping you get the most out of your business, both financially and strategically.
We have a team of trained specialists who can provide you with professional advice and assistance. Whether you need help structuring your business, monitoring your cash flow, setting goals or budgeting, the team at Toohey Reid can take the weight off your shoulders, and provide you with sound recommendations and ideas for improvement.
Simply call or email us to speak with one of our friendly staff members!
General Advice Disclaimer
General advice warning: The advice provided is general advice only as, in preparing it we did not take into account your investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs. Before making an investment decision on the basis of this advice, you should consider how appropriate the advice is to your particular investment needs, and objectives. You should also consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision relating to a financial product.
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